By Rob van Herpen 
Vice President for Global Client Solutions – Gaming and Entertainment

In gaming, some titles do more than entertain — they resonate. Black Myth: Wukong is a case in point, blending the legendary Journey to the West into an experience that has captivated a global audience. Wukong sparked interest and stoked high expectations as early as 2018 when its development was first announced. A day after its launch, it already had 2.3 million concurrent players on Steam alone. As of this writing, it had set the record for being the most-played single-player game in the platform’s history. Wukong also surpassed the records of other popular single-player titles like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077, as well as multiplayer titles like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2.

Wukong’s milestone highlights a bubbling trend in gaming: Cultural narratives are driving global business success. Where does customer experience figure into the equation?

The power of cultural resonance

Games like Black Myth: Wukong tap into cultural heritage, offering a personal yet universally relatable player experience. In 2020, Ghost of Tsushima, rich with Japanese culture and history, launched with similar success. God of War: Ragnarök, which gave interpretations of Norse mythology, also launched to universal acclaim. God of War: Ragnarök became the fastest-selling first-party launch game in PlayStation’s history, while Ghost of Tsushima debuted as the best-selling game in the UK for three weeks.

Wukong’s success is deeply rooted in its Chinese origins. Developed by Game Science, this game is among the first major AAA titles on PC and PS5 to explore Chinese settings and myths. It caters to a global demand for fresh ideas while tapping into China’s rich cultural heritage, offering both unique gameplay and a sense of national pride.  

Amid current trends, Wukong also sent a powerful message: Single-player gaming isn’t dead. Recently, many video game companies have focused heavily on a live-service model to boost profits that they’re sidelining single-player experiences. This year, we’ve seen live-service titles flop, such as Sony’s Concord, Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad, and Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones. These games were reviewed as uninspired, prioritizing profit over delivering meaningful experiences. In stark contrast, Wukong offered a refreshing return to the old-school gaming experience.

From exploring tribal lore, peeking into the future, and retelling mythologies to seeing a glimpse of another society, we’ll expect to see more of these games that immerse players in worlds rich with cultural significance. These narratives, rooted in history and mythology, build worlds that create emotional connections that cross borders and languages.  

Additionally, Wukong’s strong performance in China, both on Steam and PS5, highlights the untapped potential of the Chinese market. For international players, it presents a new, unique experience, while Chinese audiences can proudly see their cultural legacy celebrated in a high-profile AAA game.  

As the gaming industry expands, the fusion of cultural storytelling and customer experience is where real impact will happen. For businesses, this is an opportunity to engage customers more deeply and tap into both new and existing markets — but how do you turn potential into action? This is where strategic support, cultural insight, and innovative technology transform a good game into a global phenomenon.

The player experience makes or breaks the game

Cultural stories in gaming are powerful, but turning them into global success requires more than just a great narrative. The player experience, especially during launch, could make or break a game.

Even AAA games can fail if post-launch support falls short. Some games, despite years of hype, were derailed by bugs. Unfulfilled promises, poor communication, and delayed updates similarly doomed these promising titles, eroding player trust and causing these games to fall short of their long-built expectations.  

There were also highly anticipated games that quickly lost their player base and commercial potential due to poor customer service. One game, surrounded by years of buzz and receiving over 8 million preorders, launched with so many glitches — and consequently, complaints — that it was pulled from the PlayStation Store for six months, with the developer even offering refunds. The backlash was swift, leading to a 30% drop in the developer’s stock. Another game, riding on the coattails of a cinematic universe, generated huge excitement, but its publisher ended up losing US$62 million after it was poorly received.

Developing and marketing a game are monumental challenges but creating a great player experience is just as crucial. Hyped-up games will have a surge of eager players whose varying expectations can be difficult to manage. Specialized support makes all the difference — handling server overloads, squashing bugs, and maintaining stability, to name a few.

Technical support is just one piece of the puzzle. Games that resonate globally often captivate and reach a diverse audience, making cultural expertise in customer support essential. Understanding language differences, respecting cultural contexts, and adapting to regional nuances are critical for providing a service that feels personal and relevant.

Community engagement also carries weight. Whether it’s moderating forums, managing social media interactions, or responding to player feedback, there should be an inclusive space where players feel safe and respected. This fosters loyalty, turning players into long-term advocates who keep the community vibrant long after the initial launch. A 2024 report on PC and console gaming, for instance, analyzed breakout games released in the last year and found common denominators in their success: developer support, community building, social elements, and incorporating player feedback to patches and future downloadable content.

Supporting global success in gaming

At TDCX, we understand that gaming is a global cultural force, and the stakes are high for companies. Customer experience is where resonant, cultural stories in gaming and global success intersect. Having a robust support system that combines technical expertise and cultural understanding is essential.  

TDCX, for example, augments human agents with AI to enhance the speed and efficiency of customer support, which is critical for games during peak times when there are massive concurrent players. Human-led, AI-enabled systems can handle routine queries and issues, allowing support teams to focus on more complex cases.  

A globally popular game also draws in a varied player base, each with their own expectations and needs. TDCX’s approach is to provide support that understands the culture, the language, and the subtleties that make each player’s experience unique. This was the competitive advantage that enabled us to help a US-based video game company scale up. By integrating our multilingual, culturally aware, and gaming-savvy team into their support strategy, we helped them manage a rapidly growing player base while enhancing the overall gaming experience and fostering long-term loyalty.

Wukong showed that cultural depth, when combined with great gameplay, can resonate globally and captivate players well beyond its origin. But to truly harness this worldwide appeal, it’s not just the game that needs to excel — robust customer support ensures that the player experience lives up to the promise.